La Luna Naranja: Exploring the Collaboration of Amalia Naranjo, Luna Nashar, and Oriana Confente

Amalia Naranjo modelling the La Luna Naranja collection. Photo courtesy of Oriana Confente

“Every night, I am alone. I transform into

different shapes

Every 28 days.”

As seasons begin to change, I have found myself getting further swept up by pensiveness under the night sky. The evenings draw longer, leaving a collection of charcoal clouds and twinkling stars which further illustrate the vastness that surrounds us and the bittersweet reality that everything must shift. Who are we in relation to each other, to our environment, and to past versions of ourselves?

The latest creative collaboration between Montreal-based artists Luna Nashar, Amalia Naranjo and Oriana Confente contends with such questions, linking tote-bag aficionados across the universe with a transcendent connection. La Luna Naranja was released earlier this summer; its canvas was carefully designed by Naranjo and Nashar, and captured by Confente with a warm and decadent editorial photoshoot. On La Luna Naranja, the trio shares:

“La Luna Naranja offers a unique fragment of what forms a Bigger image. In this fast-paced life, we go through ours with a small perspective of what's happening around us, letting our surroundings affect how we grow and reshape into our new self. The uniqueness of a Luna Naranja bag represents the beauty of individuality while still being a part of a more complex whole. A 1x1 metre canvas, hand painted by Amalia Naranjo. Each tote bag, unique, is a part of a greater picture. United, they create the original piece. However, the canvas was never meant to keep its beauty for itself. Cut, folded and sewn, it shares its true purpose: unity through art.”

The project alluringly melds temporality with an everlasting vibrance – what began as one has been reborn as many, and the many have been immortalized as one. Although the fragments of La Luna Naranja have each found their forever homes, their bond—much like ours with the past, present, and future—remains fused throughout the phases of the night sky. Also Cool Mag recently connected with Naranjo, Nashar, and Confente to discuss their creative bonds and their visions for La Luna Naranja.

Amalia Naranjo modelling the La Luna Naranja collection. Photo courtesy of Oriana Confente

Rebecca L. Judd for Also Cool Mag: Thank you all for sharing your creativity with Also Cool! To start, I would love to know a bit more about each of you and your respective practices. Can you elaborate on how this collaboration came about? How did you folks cross paths, and which artistic values or interests have you bonded over?

Luna Nashar: Amalia and I met on set of my first editorial in 2020, and I met Oriana at my very first art exhibition a year later! Since then, we have created opportunities for ourselves to connect and grow together as creatives. 

I am inspired by Amalia’s unapologetic approach to her art. She is a multidisciplinary artist, and [through this project] I really wanted to challenge her and get to know her as a painter. 

Oriana is a perfect fit on the project. Her use of film photography reinforces the “one-of-a-kind” theme of the project. I also love discussing sustainability in fashion with Oriana – we both are big on thrifting! It was interesting to have her on this project where a new art piece is recycled into a tote.

Oriana Confente: I actually met Amalia on the same night I met Luna at her exhibition last year. That was the first time I had seen Luna’s textiles and Amalia’s paintings. 

It’s funny how sometimes you encounter people and you just click. Like Luna mentioned, we connected over sustainability in fashion and I admire her approach to design. I love that Luna often repurposes deadstock fabrics, and I’m obsessed with her interpretations of the female form. I mean… pussy pockets. What a concept! I have at least three at home, and I’m sure that I’ll own more soon. 

I fully agree with Luna – I’m also inspired by Amalia’s unapologetic approach to her work. Getting to know her more through the events and projects that Luna organized has been lovely. It was especially fun to have an opportunity for Amalia to model with pieces she co-created. Funnily enough, this shoot was supposed to just be for e-commerce at first, but it evolved into so much more. I am thankful for transformation!

Amalia Naranjo: Like Luna said, we met in September 2020 for her editorial photoshoot. A year after that, I met Oriana at Luna’s art exhibition The Red Room. Their energy always felt so pure and real to me, when Luna proposed to me to collaborate with her on a tote bag project where I would get to paint, I was really excited to jump in. 

I immediately bonded with Luna. I loved her style, her creativity and her aesthetics, but mostly her perspective on arts and community values. She has the gift of bringing interesting creative people together so we can share and collaborate on our creations. Oriana’s artistic approach on themes like nature and technology and how they can co-exist really captured my attention. I admire the complexity of her projects and how she talks about it in an effortless manner.

Also Cool: La Luna Naranja fuses individual pieces into a greater narrative about transformation, reflecting on interconnectedness between eras and experiences. Tell us more about how this is thematically reflected in the collection, and what you’ve learned in creating it.

Luna: I feel like a bond of sisterhood developed throughout the project, as we learned from each other and spent time with each other's art. It was fruitful to share and be part of different challenges when it comes to our different mediums. As I sewed the totes, I could tell where Amalia put more paint! It was really fun to imagine her creative process as I was transforming her art.

Also, it was lovely seeing people choose which tote would be theirs. It reflects their uniqueness. I feel like La Luna Naranja created a small community where each one-of-a-kind tote is carried by an exceptional soul who shares a love for the art piece. The sisterhood that we shared together is for the community.

Amalia: When I had to come up with a design, I knew I wanted to bring a sense of uniqueness to every individual bag, so I knew that it wouldn’t be a single pattern throughout the whole fabric. But I also wanted it to be all connected and dynamic to represent movement and change through time and space – hence the lines that travel through the whole piece. There are also the different shapes of what seem to be naturally-rounded balls, but whose shapes change depending on their surroundings – just like us. Humans are affected by our surroundings, and we change as we move through time and space.

Amalia Naranjo modelling the La Luna Naranja collection. Photo courtesy of Oriana Confente

AC: I’m interested in the prospect of “unity through art”; how the repurposing of this piece into tote bags helped it to achieve a higher level — “its true purpose”. As artists, was there a moment when you felt that this was achieved?

Luna: Great art is life-changing. Traditionally, a painting is appreciated in a specific space. Repurposing it into a timeless piece elongates its narrative. I love the idea that you get to spend time with a piece that makes you feel a certain way. 

Transforming Amalia’s art was a very big moment for me – especially the first cut! I feel like a bond of sisterhood developed throughout that process of transformation. Although, the greatest feeling is knowing those tote bags are part of someone else’s life now. Maybe we should do a reunion with all the La Luna Naranja carriers!

Amalia: I could not say it better, Luna! By giving the art piece a utility, its purpose definitely adds more to the symbolism of moving through time and space with the user, and the sense of unity with all the people involved in this creation and the consumer is defined. I feel like this project keeps reaching higher levels. From doing a playful photoshoot, wearing the big painted fabric, to wearing the individual tote bags while doing more of a conceptual photoshoot. I feel it even more when I see people using it in their everyday lifestyle, and finally, when I see it published in a magazine for all eyes to see!

Amalia Naranjo modelling the La Luna Naranja collection. Photo courtesy of Oriana Confente

AC: I’d love to hear more about the intentions with colour in the piece, both as totes and in this photoshoot. 

Luna: Each emotion that each colour communicates, I want to feel and experience. I wear what I feel, and I am very comfortable expressing those feelings. I like finding balance in those emotions and I believe Oriana did a great job capturing that!

Oriana: Luna and Amalia are both incredibly vibrant human beings, in terms of the work they create but also in terms of who they are. Capturing their essence in this editorial was important to all of us. 

Amalia came to the set with electric blue eyeliner, and Luna had the spontaneous idea to throw some yellow lace she had in the studio over the backdrop… It came together quite naturally. 

Amalia: I cherry-picked the colours to create a vibrant palette of a nice variety, one that represented a diverse range of feelings and states. I also had fun blending various colours inside the balls, which was again to represent free movement and transformation. I chose to paint the lines black so that they could be neutral while the balls do all the eye-catching with their bright changing colors. When it came to the photoshoot, we approached colour in the same way: we went extra on the colour palette with the electric blue eye makeup, the extravagant red backdrop and the bright yellow lace. 

AC: Thank you all for your time! To close things off, what are each of you up to next, creatively? Are there any future collaborations in the works?

Luna: I am currently working on a new collection of bags in collaboration with a vintage store in Montreal, where transformation is also a major theme. Truly, collaborations are essential to every artist's growth. 

Oriana: Luna and I are starting a new project together! My practice, through photography and other creative means, is interested in disrupting consumerism and repurposing materials. I work with electronic waste (e-waste) a lot. Right now, Luna and I are co-designing garments that incorporate e-waste we’re collecting from friends and family. 

I’ve created e-waste accessories before—like earrings made from microchips—so it’s exciting to be working with a skilled designer like Luna to make more elaborate wearables. Plus, sharing talents and merging practices continues to commit us to transformation and unity through art. Collaboration and making-with is crucial for any type of community. I’m grateful I can experience that artistically with really cool folks. 

Amalia: I am very proud to say that as La Luna Naranja sold out very quickly, I am currently working on a new collection of painted tote bags with Luna. I am also working on a collection of paintings to have my own art exhibit soon. I am looking forward to more collabs with more creatives as I believe we can only do so much more amazing stuff when we work together.

Medusa, a “pussy pocket” bag produced by Luna Nashar. Photo courtesy of Luna Nashar

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La Luna Naranja

Modelled by Amalia Naranjo

Photographed by Oriana Confente

Garments produced by Luna Nashar

Tote bags designed by Luna Nashar and Amalia Naranjo

Hair styled by FirstClass Hair

Make-up by Dorianys Naranjo

Assisted by Vladim Vilain

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Luna Nashar

Website | Instagram

Oriana Confente

Website | Instagram | Twitter

Amalia Naranjo

Instagram

Rebecca L. Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag. She writes and creates out of her studio apartment in Ottawa, kept company by vivid dreams and a cuddly grey kitty named Dora.

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Artist Spotlight: Camila Gaza Manly / @lysvonasta

Camila Gaza Manly. Photo courtesy of Kitty Evans, styling by Céline Blais.

Looking for an extra touch of magic to brighten up your home – literally? Montreal-based lighting designer Camila Gaza Manly has made it her mission to blend artistry with functionality through her lighting collection known as Lys von Asta. Her craftsmanship maintains a strong sense of curiosity, producing ethereal light sculptures that truly shine.

Through comforting clouds of meringue and cheeky expressions of novelty, Camila’s work proves that it is possible to add whimsy to everyday needs and spaces. In exploring her work, I realize the deep symbolism of lamps in the home. Our spaces can be a reflection of ourselves, offering representations of our tastes and values. While lighting may be broadly used to reveal other decor, lamps themselves can – and should – be works of art.

Scroll on to read my delightful conversation with Camila, peppered with creative influences and reflections on her artistic growth. Take a look around your space, and imagine what more it could be.

The lamps of Lys von Asta. Photo courtesy of Kitty Evans.

Rebecca L. Judd for Also Cool: Hi there Camila, thank you for taking the time to speak with me! I’m so curious about you and your art, and I know our readers are too.

To get started, I would love to know more about your creative background. How did you first emerge as an artist, and as a lighting designer more specifically?

Camila Gaza Manly: I would say both go back pretty far in my life. I grew up on Vancouver Island in BC, so I had a very rural upbringing – surrounded by nature, going to the ocean and camping…  I also went to Waldorf school, which was a big early influence on my development artistically. So when it comes to my artistic style and early background, [those things] are a strong foundation that I still draw from a lot now. 

Both sides of my family are very artistic – my mom’s side is German, and she’s an artist. Both her parents were artists. My whole family [were] painters and sculptors, it’s probably in my blood or something (laughs). My dad's side is half Danish with lots of wood workers, and he's a musician. [His family] had farms and were always working with their hands and being artistic.

I came up with the name for my project during lockdown when I was thinking about my family a lot. ‘Lys’ is the general word for ‘light’ in Danish. It can also be used to mean ‘lamp’ and ‘candle’. ‘von’ means ‘from’ in German, and is part of my mother’s maiden name that I didn’t receive. And ‘Asta’ was my great grandmother's name on my Danish side. I never met her, but have always felt very connected to her. We share petite stature and certain characteristics. She raised twelve children on a farm and lived until the age of 96. She has always been a great source of strength for me. ‘Light from Asta’ is where my heritage and aspirations meet.

When it comes to [transitioning into] lamps, that also started around the same time [in life]. At Waldorf school, my teacher really didn’t like the overhead fluorescent lighting in our classroom. She would turn them off and bring in her own lamps – I think we had about 12 different lamps in the classroom instead of the overhead lighting. I got used to that softer light work environment – I think it might make a lot of people feel less motivated, but I work well in comforting lighting. [Our class] would also do lantern walks, which were outside in the autumn, and we would make our own lanterns. That would be my earliest lamp-making experience. 

I was also lucky enough to work on large-scale lantern festivals with my mom's sister, which is something she did regularly during her illustrious career. My favourite [festival] was the Dark Sky Festival in Jasper. It was an astronomy-based festival, as [Jasper] does not have a lot of light pollution. They had Chris Hadfield talk, and kids could come and see the night sky from cool places. We did a nature walk and we had giant mushroom lamps and little dioramas with space scene backgrounds. It was so magical to create that little walk through the forest.

Also Cool: That's such a tender memory to hold close. [Lamp making] becomes a testament to your growth as a person. It [must be] a really nice constant to have in your life. 

Camila Gaza Manly: I think that’s a good way to put it! It has felt a lot like a constant. My family always had nice lamps, my school always had nice lamps, [and then] transitioning to high school and university was quite different – partly just because of the lighting. 

AC: Right, there are so many reasons why you’d want to create art that’s not only beautiful to look at, but very livable. 
What does it mean to you to produce art through this specific medium? Why does lamp artistry feel like the right outlet for you?

CGM: It kind of feels like it’s my own canvas. I’ve always painted and drawn and worked in wood and sculpted a little bit, but creating something that’s more of a functional sculpture… somehow, it feels more true to who I am. If I just have a canvas or a piece of paper… it’s two-dimensional. I would say the three-dimensional aspect is very big for me right now. 

I finished my degree last year, during the pandemic, in linguistics and philosophy. So [another] part of it too is just that I have been burnt out since finishing school, [but] returning to earlier influences and inspirations has been really inspiring. [These influences] keep feeding off of each other – when I was doing my [100 Days of Creative Prototyping] project, I had all these ideas to begin with, but the more that I would do them, the more they would come, tenfold, all the time. I think it was that daily practice, where even when I didn’t want to do it, I forced myself to do it.

AC: You briefly mentioned your background in linguistics and philosophy. To be in the arts community and not enter it by way of [formal university] training … I’m curious to know how you think that affects or enhances your art.

CGM: On the business side, it gives me a strong foundation to organize things. I was really involved in the linguistics community, so I got a lot of experience managing and organizing events. 

I feel really happy that I did the degree I did, even though right now I’m pursuing something totally different. Before I studied linguistics, I was studying French – just to live in [Montreal] – and that’s how I found out about the linguistics program. [Even] before that, my plan was to go to school and study industrial design, because I wanted to make lamps.

But had I done that, I wouldn’t be making the lamps I’m making now. I'm sure I would be making cool stuff, but I feel glad that it happened the way it did – now I'm making things that are completely out of my own head and sometimes they're pretty funky and weird.

I’ve had friends who’ve gone to art school and sometimes I was envious of the ability to just go to a studio and take that time off of thinking and writing papers. I wanted to take some elective classes but it’s hard to do that. But seeing my friends go through formal art training, I feel like it’s really limiting in a lot of ways. You learn a lot, but I think some people lose their personal creative [touch]. 

AC: You need to think about it, too, through a lens of “transferable skills” and thinking about what it is you bring to the table. It's intimidating to consider the inaccessibility of certain resources, by virtue of not studying [your craft]. But it's also really exciting to think about “okay, how can I turn it around?”

CGM: I think it also created a necessity for me to return to making things with my hands. I love academics, but I’ve always needed that balance. It’s so refreshing to engross myself in a project where I don’t need to go “X, Y, Z…”

The lamps of Lys von Asta. Photo courtesy of Kitty Evans, styling by Céline Blais.

AC: Looking at lamp artistry as its own specific field within fine arts and design, what does the arts community for this kind of creativity look like, and how have you participated or interacted with it?

CGM: [I interact] definitely through inspiration and influences… like Isamu Noguchi, who made the Akari light sculptures in the same timeline as mid-century modern furniture. He modernized a traditional approach – he [used] a lot of traditional Japanese craftsmanship to make them. I think I love [his designs] because they are such a beautiful mix between the old and the new. I am attracted to where those [styles] meet – there’s a lot of lighting nowadays that is very cold and corporate-feeling, so I have a desire to see more soft and organic lighting on the market.

Besides Noguchi, I am also inspired by Danish mid-century style... Mads Caprani and Le Klint. There’s a traditional blend of a wood frame within a pleated paper lampshade. Those are also influences.

When I first started making [my lamps] during my project, I kept feeling like I needed to search out other small lighting companies. It is great to connect with them – I have found some cool accounts on Instagram and Pinterest or different places on the Internet. But I think it’s also just been refreshing to connect with artists from all different disciplines who are taking their craftsmanship and putting a personal twist on it. It feels really welcoming to connect with people like that, even if we are not making the same thing.

AC: That’s awesome – and going back to what we were talking about with versatility, it’s this thought of “perhaps I specialize in this one thing, but that doesn't mean I can't connect with other fields and other ways of doing and thinking”. It’s also good to get in touch with nostalgia and connect with fundamental creators.

CGM: I think, because I'm making the prototypes completely by hand, I feel more inspired by other people who are also making everything by hand… whereas a lot of lighting nowadays is industrial and mass-produced, and I feel that there are some pretty cool designs, but there’s something lost between creating a prototype and getting a factory to make it.

AC: Are there any creative influences that you have held close over time?

CGM: Yes! There’s a hat designer based in Berlin – Maryam Keyhani. Her Instagram, her whole website and business just looks like a dream.  I feel like there’s this connection between hats and lamps – there’s a similarity in shape and form. I love seeing how [Keyhani] creates, it’s so influenced by play and experimentation and feels very free.

I am also inspired by architects and sculptors from the mid-century era, like Charles and Ray Eames. I actually made a little model of the [Eames house] during my project and put a light inside. And [Alexander] Calder – I made quite a few lamps that were inspired by his mobile sculptures, where there’s wire connectors and parts that hang and turn.

With [the artist] Yayoi Kusama and her polka dots, I love the idea of getting wrapped up in something you love and it consumes your life in a good way. Lastly, there’s Masha Reva who lives in Ukraine – she does these cool sculptures made out of vegetables, and does large-scale drawings and paintings as well. With artists like that, working in several different mediums, I’m always really inspired.

Camila Gaza Manly surrounded by Lys von Asta lamps. Photo courtesy of Kitty Evans, styling by Céline Blais.

AC: Congratulations on completing your 100 Days of Creative Prototyping project! It seems like the process was rather fruitful for you, and there were so many goodies to come out of it (I’m partial to the open-faced lamp with the pearl, so divine.) Could you elaborate on your intentions for this project, and how it served your creative growth to finish it?

CGM: The intentions of this project were to create a practice for what I wanted to commit to. At the beginning, it literally was practice – I was practicing folding, putting different shapes together and working with different kinds of papers and materials. 

In early January, I was just making paper lampshades because I wanted to start learning how to make them. Then I heard about the 100 Day Project as a thing that anyone can do, at any time. I think [the challenge] was more popular in the winter, we were still in the middle of lockdown and curfew in Montreal. When I heard about the 100 Day Project, I was also terrified, because most people do a little drawing or a little dance, and I'm going to make a hundred lamps (laughs).

I was partially inspired to do something so ambitious by this ceramic artist in the States, Lolly Lolly Ceramics. She previously did this project and had 100 black mugs with a different kind of handle on each one. That had me thinking what a challenge it would be, but also how creative it forces you to be. 

I was also able to work on my tendencies towards perfectionism. I always wanted everything to be perfect, and that’s quite hindering when you want to move forward and get new ideas. I thought this project was a good way to move away from that. Every night, whether I loved it or hated it, I forced myself to post it on Instagram – which was really hard because sometimes I wasn’t happy with them. Now, as I’m on the other end of it, and I’m taking all the inspiration from the project, it’s really great to look back [at] that time and remember all the ups and downs experienced, and to have a controlled view of that.  I can pick and choose which parts I want to take and which parts I want to leave behind, because as much as I was prototyping designs, I was also prototyping techniques – and I think that’s the biggest takeaway for me going forward. There are still some designs that I am tweaking to make and sell, and others where I just made them purely for fun and to experiment.

AC: At the end of the day, if you’re completing the assignment then you’re completing the assignment. That exercise in self-accountability must have been so rewarding.

CGM: Yes! The process also made me analyze it in different ways. At one point in the project, I thought “Oh, I should be alternating… so one day, I’ll make a hanging lamp, and one day I’ll make a standing lamp”. But some days I wasn’t inspired to make a hanging lamp, I wanted to do something else. I had to find that balance of what’s actually important here and then move forward with that. 

Camila Gaza Manly surrounded by Lys von Asta lamps. Photo courtesy of Kitty Evans, styling by Céline Blais.

AC: Are there any major lessons that your creative journey has taught you? What do you feel that you have yet to learn?

CGM: Something that I felt I learned through the [100 Days of Creative Prototyping] process was what can be done in a certain amount of time and what can’t. As much as [the project] fed my inspiration and kept me going – the medium I was working in, paper, was really accessible for that process – I was still really curious to add other materials. With the project, I kept feeling the limit of the time constraint and how I couldn’t go further. I want to work with wood eventually, like a wooden base with a paper lampshade. I’m also interested in clay, and ways to make a stronger structure for some of them, especially the standing ones – I didn’t make any floor lamps because of that reason, but I would love to in the future.

There’s also a lesson I’ve learned from the artists in my life. When you think you make a mistake, it's often the best part of what comes out of it, even if it’s really frustrating in the moment. I definitely had a lot of those moments during the project where something went wrong and I was like “This is not what I wanted!”, but at the end of it, it was better than I could have imagined. So I think when you plan something, you can only plan it so far until you actually do it. With the project, what was really cool is I didn’t have time to plan. I didn’t have time to get these perfect images in my head and then try to execute them. I was taking this lesson and putting it into action.

In terms of what I have yet to learn, I definitely want to explore different folding techniques moving forward, because I learned quite a few in the beginning, but I would then keep using the same ones in different ways with patterns or colours or a picture depicted on [the folding]. I want to practice more with creating sculptural shapes. There are a million possibilities. For me, it's partly a challenge because I was never good at math, and there's quite a bit of math involved with the types of folding that I've been doing. It can be quite technical. 

AC: Thank you so much for your time, Camila. What can we expect from you next, and how can we support your work?

CGM: Right now, I’m working on my website. I will be offering an online web shop, and I’m going to have a drop of lamps when I launch. I’m still tweaking some things, but I want to have some made-to-order lamps available as well as [opportunities for] commissions. [Note: Camila’s site is now live - check it out here!]

I also want to have [my lamps] accessible for other opportunities – months ago, I was part of a music video for a local musician. [Félix Dyotte]. I brought my lamps there to be part of the set. It would be great, moving forward, to offer [my lamps] if someone wanted them for wedding photographs or something else. I would love to collaborate with people in the future, because I feel like it’s such a special opportunity to create warm, intimate environments.

[Finally], I will be joining a Chicago-based online platform called Bird & Tale. It's run by husband-and-wife duo Brad Stumpf and Jeffly Gabriela Molina. He is a painter and works at a lighting company, and she is primarily a painter. They feature incredible emerging artists and designers through their online platform and their physical showroom in Chicago. My lamps will be showcased both online and in the showroom. I’m really looking forward to being in such wonderful artistic company!

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Camila Gaza Manly / Lys Von Asta

Instagram | Website

Rebecca L. Judd (she/they) is the features editor of Also Cool Mag. She writes and creates out of a studio apartment in Ottawa, kept company by vivid dreams and a cuddly grey kitty named Dora.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Anna Rudzit / @sugaronyoursouls Takes Preconceptions of Beauty Into Her Own Hands

Makeup, photography and retouching by Anna Rudzit

The work of Moscow’s makeup aficionado Anna Rudzit – better known as @sugaronyoursouls – is not for the faint of heart. While most makeup artists concern themselves with the perfect wing or smoothest blend, Rudzit exists in a world of her own. Held together by macaroni noodles, clementine peels and clouds of pigmented goop; the term “experimental” serves her craft a limited justice.

When I first came across Rudzit’s creations, I was not sure whether to feel startled or exhilarated. I consider myself to be a devoted follower of the makeup industry, one that is – unfortunately – rather occupied with chasing perfection. Since confronting Rudzit’s work, something has awoken. Her marks of expression are a gift to this industry, a sign to shake up notions of “creativity” and embrace the uncomfortable as a portal to something beautiful. 

I had the pleasure of chatting with Rudzit about her creative philosophies and her variety of influences, among other subjects. Read away!

Rebecca L. Judd for Also Cool: Hi there Anna! Thank you for taking the time to speak with Also Cool – I am a recent fan, but your looks have already taken over my 'Saved' tab on Instagram. For those unfamiliar with your work, can you explain what it is you do?

Anna Rudzit: Hey Also Cool Mag! Thank you for this opportunity, I appreciate it. I am [an artist] doing experimental and avant-garde makeup. It's something between makeup and art. If we [were to] dig deeper, [this comes] from our ancestors, who decorated themselves with various objects and painted on their faces to show their place in their society. In my opinion, the closest thing to avant-garde makeup today is high fashion. Experimental makeup gives great opportunities for creativity, and there are practically no boundaries. At the same time, you can create in the moment and allow yourself to make mistakes.

Makeup, photography and retouching by Anna Rudzit

Also Cool: Your work fascinates me because it validates that any form of facial experimentation is capable of being recognized as 'art'. Your work strays away from the polish or precision that we assume of makeup artists – you have proven that random tools like Post-its, balloons and scotch tape can also create a unique and intriguing makeup look. How did you decide to move in this direction with your art as a makeup artist? 

Anna: [Ever] since childhood I was interested in makeup, and I also had access to my mother's cosmetics and the absence of prohibitions in creativity from my parents. In adulthood, I [gained] skills in photography, retouching, and I [completed] makeup artistry courses. In the end, I united all this and decided that I didn't want to create something simple and understandable. I was interested in experiments – images on the verge of beautiful and ugly. I wanted to share my own perception of beauty, [and] to tell a story. I like to create images on my face and photograph them as if it were a one-man theater.

AC: Together with Russian artist Anna Meder, you co-founded Messymakeupcommunity, an artistic community dedicated to "unusual and experimental makeup". Tell me more about this project, and what you hope to achieve with it!

A: [Mine and Anna’s] creative paths began almost at the same time, that's how we got to know each other. At the beginning of [our] journey, we faced the fact that it is very difficult to get [exposure through] the magazines and the communities so that people can see your work. Most often, popular [outlets] choose a picture without noticing [the] real person behind it. Just a beautiful image and that's it. Our approach is completely different – we show artists who want to be seen. It doesn't matter what [kind of style of] photo was taken and how high quality it is. It's important to catch on to the idea.Our community exists as a platform to support all artists – famous and beginners – who are interested in this kind of creativity. We believe that creativity makes our world a better place.

Makeup, photography and retouching by Anna Rudzit

AC: Who is it that influences your artistic approach? Do your influences include fellow makeup artists, or people outside of makeup altogether?

A: I am not inspired by [anyone] in particular. On the contrary, I try to turn off what I [have seen] in order to focus on my experience. I've always been passionate about psychology, surrealism and David Lynch. This is what has always interested me. When I started my blog, a kind of alma mater [for developing my makeup] was #uglymakeuprevolution. 

I am often asked about inspiration, but I think we are inspired by the same things. Nature, people, art, architecture, cinema, fashion, personal experiences and so on. The main trick is how you put it through your mind and imagination. 

AC: What has been the biggest challenge for you as a makeup artist, and how have you overcome it?

A: The biggest challenge [has been] non-constructive criticism. I understand perfectly well that the world will never be neutral, and social networks are a toxic place. But sometimes it still affects me. In such cases, I try to focus on love and support.

One of the very first and [most] difficult, from an ethical point of view, was the work [I did] based on the Xavier Dolan film "Matthias and Maxim". The main character (Dolan) had a birthmark all over his cheek. I was deeply impressed by the director's reception. It was powerful. And I did not hesitate to draw exactly the same on my cheek and took a photo. 

I was not going to publish the photo, [as] I did it for myself in a creative burst. Later, I told my friend about this and showed the photo. She persuaded me to publish it for her sake, arguing that she has a large birthmark and she was embarrassed all her life, and my work [gave] her confidence that it is unique and beautiful. As a result, I conducted a mini research [sample] among my friends and came to the conclusion that there can be no definite answer, but my friend's words influenced me and I made up my mind. This idea was soon stolen from me without any twinges of conscience. Since then, I have tried not to touch on [controversial] topics, because I don't want to offend anyone.

Makeup, photography and retouching by Anna Rudzit

AC: Although the variety of your looks is captivating, I imagine that some of them must be hard to wear... What is your go-to look in the day-to-day? Do you ever leave the house wearing your unconventional looks, or are those reserved for Instagram?

A: In everyday life, I don't wear bright or extravagant makeup, but once I painted my face at an online party. And my model [has previously] spent the whole day with chains glued to her eyes. She was excited, because she didn't think that it would be comfortable and beautiful at the same time.

AC: Thank you for your time, Anna. We here at Also Cool can't wait to see what you do next! As a parting question, do you have any next steps to share with us? What do you hope to achieve in the rest of 2021?

A: I plan to [collaborate] with several brands, I think it will be interesting. I have an idea to make some material objects, not just photos with makeup. Of course, I will continue to experiment in the field of beauty. I also dream of participating in an exhibition with my works.

Makeup, photography and retouching by Anna Rudzit

Anna Rudzit

Instagram | Messy Makeup Community

Rebecca L. Judd (she/they) is the features editor of Also Cool Mag. She writes and creates out of a studio apartment in Ottawa, kept company by vivid dreams and a cuddly grey kitty named Dora.

This interview was conducted over email, and has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Artist Spotlight: Rommy Kuperus of ROMMYDEBOMMY

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The ROMMYDEBOMMY Ikea Food Purse. Photo by ROMMYDEBOMMY

The sunshine is near, as are pastel hues, friendly faces … and lots of tasty treats! It’s true, spring hasn’t even sprung and we’ve already got picnics on the brain. Whether you’re dressing to impress for your bubble or just really hungry right now, we have one proposition – indulge in the decadence that is ROMMYDEBOMMY, the creative concoction of Rommy Kuperus. 

Rommy Kuperus is a 29-year-old artist and designer based in Harlingen, the Netherlands. The essence of ROMMYDEBOMMY is breaking from the mainstream and taking camp to the dinner table. Also Cool was recently able to connect with Rommy via email, where she dished on her growth as an artist and all the goodies yet to come.

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Rommy Kuperus of ROMMYDEBOMMY modelling one of her creations. Photo by ROMMYDEBOMMY

After spending some time as a student in product design, Rommy decided to forge her own path. Food has always been a passion and inspiration for the artist, and making it into permanent art was Rommy’s dream come true. “I like the shapes and colours even more than the taste of it,” she explains to me. “Every time I go to the grocery store, I am amazed by all those beautiful textures. A lot of people don’t realize that [the] grocery store is a museum itself.” 

This fascination shows across her wide array of designs and creations. Farfalle bow ties, Popsicle purses and a wearable tray of airplane food are just some of the options to snack on. There are also Bundt cakes and chicken nuggets to put up as home decor. Her work covers pieces of childhood nostalgia and touches on so many cultural staples. If you can eat it, Rommy can probably design it.

How do these treats get made, you ask? Rommy herself is behind every step of the process, from the concept to the cherry on top. She gathers inspiration from food bloggers and pastry chefs all around the world, and handcrafts her designs with various forms of clay and foam. They are made-to-order, and Rommy takes her time to ensure that a unique vision is reflected in all her products.

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Rommy Kuperus of ROMMYDEBOMMY posing with her Bundt Cake Home Decor. Photo by ROMMYDEBOMMY

This range of products reflects her customers and admirers from every pocket of the world, and Rommy is proud to work with all kinds of taste buds. “The Classic Pancake Purse with butter and syrup is one of my best-sellers,” she notes. “The Eaten Birthday Cake Purse is really popular at the moment. I have a lot of customers from the USA and I figure that they like the cakes the most.” Rommy also works with many British customers, a group that she describes as “more outgoing,” and she says that they tend to request the Potato and Supermarket Chicken Purses. Drool!

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Rommy’s business has boomed. “To be honest, it was the best year I have ever had,” she shares. “People couldn't go to their favourite restaurants, cafes, or the movies, so they [spent their money and time] on different things. I have never received so many orders as when the COVID-19 [pandemic] started.” Although the Netherlands is still under lockdown, she has been able to continue the ROMMYDEBOMMY business from home – where she makes her treats, styles and directs the product shoots, and ships each order out in a perfect pink box.

Part of this growth can be attributed to Rommy’s clever usage of social media. She advertises her products every day through creative shoots and immersive videos of her artistic process. The ROMMYDEBOMMY Instagram page boasts over 65,000 followers – this is how I discovered Rommy, after a friend sent me some of her delicious content. But her biggest audience can be found – where else? – on TikTok, the ultimate platform of the pandemic. She has garnered over 2.5 million likes and nearly 200,000 followers after starting her TikTok account just 9 months ago.

@rommydebommy

Croissant purse 🥐🇫🇷✨ SHOP: www.rommydebommy.com ##rommydebommy ##handmade ##croissant ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##foryourpage

♬ Hit Sale (feat. Roméo Elvis) - Therapie TAXI

When I ask her to elaborate on this growth, she confesses that it almost didn’t happen: “My 15-year old cousin pushed me to go on TikTok, [and] I didn’t want to. But when I finally uploaded my first video, I realized it could be huge for my brand. After a month, I already had more followers on TikTok [than] on my Instagram. I completely underestimated TikTok in the beginning, [and am] pleasantly surprised!”

Running the ROMMYDEBOMMY shop sounds like peaches and cream, but it can be hard work for just one person. Translating an artistic vision to reality can also be hard work, and I was curious if there were any foods that Rommy struggled with designing. “It doesn’t happen often,” she remarks, “but last year in January I started with an Oyster Purse and I wasn’t feeling [the design] at that moment. I put it away, and last month I decided to finish the purse – it became one of my most liked pictures on Instagram.” Take a look at her final product – we’d be shellfish to keep it to ourselves.

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A post shared by ✨R O M M Y D E B O M M Y✨ (@rommydebommy)

Perhaps you’re interested in shopping ROMMYDEBOMMY, but want to make a bolder statement. Or, maybe you just can’t pick a favourite food (okay, relatable). Rommy also makes some groovy creations outside of the world of food. You can carry around an ear, some TP or a bar of soap if that’s what suits your fancy. My personal favourite was the purse I least expected – the sanitary pad. When I asked Rommy about this design, she was proud to reflect on its place in her shop: “The sanitary pad [design] was to make a statement. We need to normalize menstrual hygiene. Some people still call it gross and disgusting, [but] it’s nature. I think the end result of the sanitary pad looks really elegant and chic.”

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The ROMMYDEBOMMY Sanitary Pad Purse. Photo by ROMMYDEBOMMY

In getting to know more about ROMMYDEBOMMY and the woman behind the brand, I was left inspired by Rommy’s commitment to mixing fashion with fun. Our conversation reminded me of all the whimsy and magic that can be found in everyday life, and how holding onto that is so very important.

Looking ahead at what’s to come, Rommy has a few tricks up her sleeve. “There are a lot of exciting things coming this year,” she shares. “More collections, more giveaways and more next-level food purses!” Needless to say, we’ll be hungry.

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The ROMMYDEBOMMY Avocado Egg Toast Purse. Photo by ROMMYDEBOMMY

ROMMYDEBOMMY

Website | Instagram | TikTok | Etsy

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Rebecca L. Judd (she/they) is a writer and student currently based in Ottawa. When not stuck in a daydream, she can be found writing, collaging, and talking about The Sopranos to anyone who will listen. Instagram | Twitter

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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